Distributed Tracing
Quick Reference
What & Why
Definition
>= 85% of services instrumented for distributed tracing (Jaeger, Tempo) with trace sampling >= 10% of requests.
Business Value
Provides objective Go/No-Go deployment decisions and prevents 80% of error budget violations through SLO-driven alerting and error budget policies Achieving >= 85% services instrumented is a key milestone toward this goal.
Context
This capability is part of the Acceleration milestone's focus on scale automation, embed compliance, improve speed & reliability. Essential for teams targeting MTTR, CFR improvements.
Success Criteria
Target
>= 85% services instrumented
Measurement
Tracing instrumentation coverage + sampling rate
Evidence
- Tracing SDK integration
- Trace examples
- Latency breakdown analysis
In Practice
Real-World Implementation
Teams use OpenTelemetry SDK, propagate trace context across service boundaries, sample 10-100% of traces, visualize with Jaeger.
Concrete Example
Implementation Guide
Implementation Steps
Follow the measurement approach: Tracing instrumentation coverage + sampling rate
For detailed step-by-step guidance, refer to the SLO-Driven Observability & Error Budgets Implementation Kit.
Resources
Implementation Kit
SLO-Driven Observability & Error Budgets KitTemplates
Browse all templatesRelated Resources
View learning pathsRelated Capabilities
Prerequisites
Implement these first
Enables
What this unlocks
Complementary
Often adopted together, from the SLO-Driven Observability & Error Budgets epic
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Common Issues
Issue: Target metric not improving
Solution: Verify measurement is accurate, check if prerequisites are fully implemented, review evidence artifacts for completeness
Issue: Team resistance to adoption
Solution: Start with pilot team, demonstrate value with metrics, provide training and support during transition
Issue: Inconsistent implementation across teams
Solution: Create shared templates and guidelines, establish regular sync meetings, use automation to enforce standards
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we implement this before completing prerequisites?
While possible, it's not recommended. Prerequisites ensure foundational practices are in place, making this capability more effective and easier to adopt.
How long does implementation typically take?
Most capabilities can be implemented within 90 days when tackled as part of the Acceleration milestone. Individual timelines vary based on team size and existing practices.